When the State Trembled

'In reading When the State Trembled one can make far better estimate of the advantages and dangers of a general strike. This adds to the value of the book. But above all, it is a well-crafted and reliable history. It deserves a wide readership.' -- William Bruneau: CAUT Bulletin, vol 58 May 2011 'The labour revolt of 1919 was a moment of legitimate threat to the Canadian ruling class. Thanks to Reinhold Kramer and Tom Mitchell we now have a much richer understanding of that moment, and students of the Canadian left have been given renewed impetus to explore one of the defining moments of Canadian history.' -- Peter Campbell Socialist Studies; vol 7:1-2:2011 'Kramer & Mitchell uncovered a mountain of new archival documents that allow them to reconstruct this event in an entirely different way...The authors have given us a rich new narrative and a much more nuanced analysis of class conflict in Canada after World War I.' -- Craig Heron, American Historical Review; vol 116: 05: 2011 'By bringing the Citizens' Committee out of the shadows and into the limelight, Kramer and Mitchell reveal a hitherto hidden dimension of the strike... what was unusual about the Citizens' is the extent to which its members assumed the state's powers. What makes Kramer and Mitchell's narrative so compelling is not simply that it is well written, but that it is even-handed. ' -- Judy Fudge; Canadian Labour & Employment Law Journal, vol 16:01:2011 'This book should be read by all Canadians who seek to understand our country and its evolving relations between state and citizen.' -- Eric Sager Journal of Historical Biography vol9: Spring 2011 'This detailed narrative illuminates the actions of both the Citizens and the strikers... What emerges is a compelling case study of a local bourgeoisie in a state of crisis, and how it mobilized closely knit associations and an array of ideological and legal tools to respond to a defiant and mobilized working class.' -- Banjamin Isitt Labour/La Travail vol 70: 2012